Defibrillators are medical devices for providing life-saving electrical therapy to persons experiencing an irregular heart beat, such as ventricular fibrillation (VF). A defibrillator provides an electrical stimulus to the heart in an attempt to convert the irregular heart beat to a normal sinus rhythm. An external defibrillator sends electrical pulses to the patient's heart through external electrodes applied to the patient's chest.
To aid in portability, the typical external defibrillator is capable of operating on battery power. Because defibrillators are intended for use in life-threatening medical emergencies, their power source must meet high standards of safety and reliability. A defibrillator designed for use by ambulance crews and in hospitals typically will use battery packs designed specifically for that particular make and model of defibrillator. These battery packs may be rechargeable or non-rechargeable. A combination of rechargeable and non-rechargeable battery packs are used in some defibrillators. Typical external defibrillators have a useful life longer than that of their battery packs. This necessitates the purchase and deployment of several replacement battery packs over the useful life of the defibrillator.
An external defibrillator owner may find several sources from which to purchase after-market battery packs which are configured to fit in the defibrillator. If an after-market battery pack is not manufactured to the appropriate quality standards, device performance may suffer and safety may be compromised. Unfortunately, whether a particular battery pack meets standards and specifications set by the defibrillator manufacturer may not be readily apparent simply by examining the outward appearance of the battery pack.